Sheet for tallying points in whist.



PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

E. BACH. SHEET POR TALLYING POINTS IN WHIST.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

nq MODEL.

POINTS GAINED POINTS DISTRIBUTED n.: News nus co. mowmno, wnwnnwn. 111;,

PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

E. BACH.

SHEET FOR TALLYING POINTS IN WHIST.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1901.

UNITED STATES Patented May 3, 1904.l

EVA BACH, OE NEWr YORK, N. Y.

SHEET FOR TALLYlNG POINTS IN WHlST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '758,8C8, dated May 3,1904.

Application filed May 3,1901. Serial No. 58,586. (No model.)

To 11]/ 11n/Lent it www con/cern:

Be it known that I, EVA BACH, a citizen of thc United States, and aresident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city of New York, in thecounty of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Sheets for Tallying Points in iVhist, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of scientific whist is to make every possible trick out of agiven hand. As this game is usually played there are thirteen tricksobtainable, and from each hand it is possible to score seven points ortricks, no account being taken of the first siX tricks or book, as it issometimes called, but only of such trick or tricks as are in excess ofsuch book. ln large parties wherethe game of progressive whist is playedand in which the partners are changed after each hand it has heretoforebeen extremely difficult and laborious to tally or keep account of thenumber of points made by the winners at the various tables. Usually thehost or hostess or some person specially employed for the work hashitherto visited the various tables and marked with pencil or with acutting-punch the cards or slips with which the players were provided;but this mode of scoring the points has for a long time been deemedobjectionable, not only on account of the inconvenience and laborinvolved, but also because of the confusion generally attending thesame, and the time consumed, and the errors which creep in,accidentally, usually, but sometimesintentionally, it being well knownthat the person having charge of the marking may favor some particularperson and score for him a greater number of points than he was entitledto.

One of my main objects is to provide means whereby the host or hostessor other person specially designated to mark or punch the cards of thewinners at the various tables is eliminated or dispensed with andwhereby the scoring of points may be performed by the players themselvesat their tables and in the presence of their partners and opponentsAnother object is to enable such scoring or tall ying tobe accompllshedreadily, accurately, and wlth despatch and 1n a way to reduce to theminimum, if not altogether prevent, opportunities for ovcrscoring or theobtaining of a record of more points than one has actually made.

To these ends my invention consists in a tally-sheet of specialconstruction and arrangement, as will presently be more fully described,and subsequently particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation or face View of atally-sheet embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar fragmentary viewillustrating the manner in which the same is used for scoring thepoints. Fig. 3 is a top plan or edge view showing the sheet in itsfolded condition before it is spread out, as illustrated at Eig. 1. Eig.4 is an elevation or face view of another tallyesheet wherein myinvention is carried out in a different form or manner; and Fig. 5 is afragmentary View thereof, illustrating how the same is used in practice.

Referring more particularly to Figs. l, 2,

and 3, a designates a sheet of paper prefer-- ably of suitable lengthand width and which may be folded centrally longitudinally, as at intobook-like form. This sheet is preferably divided into two sections orhalves c and (l. Upon the half or portion (l is secured a separate sheetor strip of paper f, which is preferably pasted along its innerlongitudinal edge f to the sheet ay at or in the vicinity of thefold-line thereof. comprises a plurality of rows of detachable squaresor markers, (designated by .r/,) one row for each hand to be played. Inthe drawings the said detachable squares or point-counting devices areexhibited as arranged in fifteen horizontal rows; but of course theremay be a greater or less number of rows. In practice 1 prefer to provideas many as thirty such rows, because frequently that many number ofhands are played in the course of a sitting. lt will be noted that thesheet e is perforated or indented upon seven parallel vertical lines /Land on fourteen horizontal lines i, thus subdividing the right-handportion of the sheet t into horizontal rows containing each sevensquares. Each square is numbered prorlhe said sheet @u gressively fromthe outermost edge-that is to say, the first square on the right in eachrow is printed with the number 1, the next with the number 2, the nextwith 3, the next with "4, the next with 5, the next with 6, and theinnermost one with the numeral 7, and opposite each row at the inner orleft-hand portion of the sheet e is printed the number of the hand towhich the row relates-that is to say, opposite or in line with the firstrow is imprinted the words 1st hand, opposite the next row 2nd hand, andso on down to the last row. The oppo site side of the sheet e, but moreespecially the back of each number from l to 7 of each row, is gummed orprovided with a dry adhesive substance, after the fashion of apostage-stamp. At the upper end of the right-hand portion of the sheet aand over the detachable markers are preferably printed the words Pointsdistributed, and at a corresponding space on the left-hand portion ofthe sheetv i is preferably printed the words Points gained. Beneaththese last-mentioned words are a number of horizontal-ruled lines j,subdividing this portion of the sheet into a number of blank spaces orrows ,1.2, corresponding in number to the number of rows of detachablemarkers and of a width corresponding substantially with the length ofany marker or with the width of space between the horizontal lines ofperforations 7). These spaces 7i: are utilized by the players to mark orscore the points gained by them, as will presently more fully appear.

The use ofthe tally sheet or book (shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3 and madeas above described) is as follows: In the beginning each player at atable is provided with a sheet or book containing a full set of thedetachable scorers or markers g, arranged as shown at Fig. 1. At theconclusion of the first hand the number of points won by each ofthe twopartners is recorded or tallied by each obtaining from his opponent anumber of squares or markers g, equal to the number of pointsgained-that is to say, the number of tricks made above six or thebook-and these squares are then moistened and pasted on the winnerssheet in the blank spaces la, opposite or in line with the inscriptiondesignating the hand playedin this instance the first hand. Preferably arule is established and which is printed on the outer side of thesection CZ, to the effect that losers shall tear off the number ofpoints lost and pass them to the respective winners, who are to pastethem upon their own cards or sheets in the space designated for the handplayed. Referring now more particularly to Fig. 2, it will be observedthat the squares or markers 1, 2, and 3 of the first hand are missing orhave been detached and that the space 7c opposite the first hand isentirely blank. This indicates that the holder of this sheet lost threepoints in the first hand and that they were torn off from the first rowand handed to one of his opponents. An examination of the opponents cardwould disclose that all the numbers from l to 7 of the first hand areintact, while in the space Zr opposite the first hand there would befound the three markers or points which have been torn off from thefirst row of his opponents card, or the party holding the card shown atFig. 2. Looking at the second hand of the sheet shown at Fig. 2, it willbe observed that none of the squares or numbers have been removed; butthat in the blank space la opposite the second hand there have beenpasted three squares,

which have been taken from the card or sheet of the opponent, the saidnumbers of squares representing the number of points gained by theholder of the card illustrated during the second hand. A furtherexamination of Fig. 2 will disclose that the holder lost one point inthe third hand and gained two points in the fourth hand. At the end ofthe game the number of squares or markers on the credit side of thesheet are added together, and their sum will represent the total numberof tricks or points gained by the player holding such card during theentire series of hands. To guard against errors, each square of each rowis preferably provided at one corner with a small number m, indicativeof the row or hand to which the square belongs, and this provision alsoenables the winner more readily to Vlocate the blank space 7c of hissheet, in which the squares handed to him by his opponent are to beplaced. Thus, for example, when one party hands to another one or moresquares with the numeral 4 imprinted in the corner thereof the partyreceiving the same will know instantly that they are to be placed in theblank row opposite the 4th hand. By perforating or indenting the sheetc, and thus dividing the series of numbers into series of squares, oneor more squares may be easily detached, and by printing the numbers ofeach row in the manner shown with the highest number 7 at the inner endof the row the tallying or recording of the points gained is facilitatedor rendered less confusing than it would be if the reverse of thisarrangement were adopted. lf the arrangement of the numbers werereversed, the 7 would come at the right-hand edge of the sheet, and ifthe loser lost only one point he would hand to his opponent a squarebearing the number "7, which would tend more or less to confusion anderror when at the termination of the game it came to adding up thenumber of points gained. However, as far as the main feature of myinvention is concerned the detachable squares or markers may be numberedin either way or in some other manner so long as they subserve thepurposes of my invention.

Referring' now to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be observed that thetally-sheet c comprises, as

IOO

before. a left-hand section cand a right-hand section but that insteadof employing a separate leaf, as c in Figs. 1, and 3, the detachablemarkers or squares g are Vformed integral with the section vthat is tosay, the numbers 1 to "7, inclusive, of each row are imprinted directlyon the. section Z and that each number is surrounded by longitudinal andtransverse perfor-ations or indentations, lettered, respectively, i, andso as to enable any number or set of numbers in any row to be readilydetached from the sheet; but it will be observed that in this instancethe numbers 1 to T run reversely to those exhibited at Fig. 1that is tosay, the numbers of each row are imprinted in regular order from thelowest to the highest, running from left to right instead of from rightto left, as in the said other views. Opposite each transverse orhorizontal row of detachable numbers or squares at Figs. s1 and 5 isimprinted, as before, a designation as to the number of the hand whichthe row relates to, the words 1st hand being opposite the first or upperrow, the words 2nd hand77 being opposite the second row, and so on downto the end. In Figs. 4 and 5 it will be noted that the section if is notprovided with the series of horizontal blank spaces because in this casethe mode of tallying or scoring the points gained is somewhat differentfrom that Afollowed in the use of the sheet shown in Fig. 1, and for thesame reason the backs of the markers or squares in Figs. a and 5 are notgummed. 1n the use of the tallysheet shown at Figs. 4 and 5 the rule isthat winners shall tear off all of the squares excepting' thoserepresenting` the number of points gained, and losers shall tear olf allseven of the squares to prove that no points have been made, and thisrule is preferably imprinted upon the section c under the inscriptionlYhist tally scoring' points to be found thereon. In other words, if thewinner of the first hand should gain five points he would tear olf thesquares 6 and T of the first row, thus leaving live squares in the row,so as to indicate that he has gained that many points in the first hand.At the same time his opponent, the loser, must tear off all sevensquares or numbered portions in the 1sthand row, so as to show at theend of the gamle that he gained no points at all in this ham squares ormarkers are likewise provided in the corners with small numbers toindicate By referring to Fig. :3 it will be observed that the holder ofthe sheet gained six the hand played, and these numbers in this caseassist the player in locating the proper row Afor tearing off, since thenumbers correspond with the number of the hand being played. At the headof the section Z maybe imprinted the word Tablef the abbreviation No.,and the word Name,j and the blank spaces thereafter may be lilled in bygiving the number of the table, the number of the player, and the nameof the latter.

Of course the section c of the form shown at Fig. et may be dispensedwith, if desired, but I prefer to use it, because thel sheet may befolded longitudinally between the sections c and d into book-like formand the face of the sheet thus kept clean during transportation andhandling until time for using.

Various other changes in detail. construction and arrangement may bemade without departing from the gist of my invention.

W' hat l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A sheet 'for tallying point-s in whist comprising a series of similarrows of detachable numbers arranged in seven perforated squares orportions and one row foreach whist hand, and secondary numbers orexponents in each square or portion indicative of the hand to which thesquareor portionbelongs or relates.

2. A sheet for tallying points in whist comprisinga series of rows ofperforated squares or portions bearing in succession the numbers 1 to Tinclusive, one row for each whist hand, means opposite each row forindicating the number of the hand to which such row relates, and meansineachsquare for indicating the hand to which such square relates.

A sheet for tallying points in whist comprising the sectionswand (l,theloose gummed leaf ff attached thereto, and comprising the series ofrows of similarly-numbered perforated portions adapted to be detachedand pasted upon the sections c.

4. A sheet for tallying points in whist comprising the sectionsc and (l,the gmmned leaf e attached thereto and comprising a series ofsimilarly-perforated portions adapted to be detached and pasted upon thesection c, each row representing a whist hand, and the plurality of rowsbeing' successively numbered.

A score-card comprising a single sheet having on its border a portiondivided by perforated lines into rows of detachable pieces, the numberof said rows being equal to the number of games to be played or ofdivisions of the game, the pieces in each row beingconsecutivelynumbered, and the number of pieces in each row being equal to themaximum number of points to be counted in each game or division of thegame, and the card having thereon a series of designations indicatingthe game or division of the 0'ame to which each row pertains; theperforations permittingcertain of the pieces to be torn off, and thewhole card being so arranged that at IOO IIO

the end of the game or series of games it will indicate on one sheet thescore of only one player.

6. A score-card for keeping the score of a player in a series of gamesor hands of whist, comprising a single sheet having on its border aportion divided by perforated lines into rows of detachable pieces, thenumber of said rows being equal to the number of games or hands to beplayed, the pieces in each row being consecutively numbered and thenurnber of pieces in eaoh row being equal to the maximum number ofpoints that can be scored in each gaine or hand; and the card havingthereon a series' of designations indicating the number of the hand orgame to which each row pertains; the perforations permitting certain ofthe pieces to be torn oli; and the whole Card being so arranged that atthe end of the series of games it will indicate on the one sheet 2O EVABACH.

fitnessesz SIG BACH, WILLIAM J. SCHNEIDER.

